Britannica Web sites

Native to eastern Asia, the soybean has become an important farm crop around the world. High in nutritional value, soybeans are an important source of cooking oil and of high-protein animal feed. Along with peas, beans, and peanuts, soybeans belong to the group of plants called legumes.

The soybean is a legume of the Fabaceae family, which includes plants such as peanuts and alfalfa. The plant probably derives from a wild species native to central China. The soybean has been used in that country for 5,000 years as a food and a component of medicines. Soybeans were introduced into the United States in 1804 and became particularly important in the South and Midwest in the mid-20th century. The soybean provides vegetable protein for millions of people and ingredients for hundreds of chemical products. The soybean’s scientific name is Glycine max.